Adventures with Kingsley Holgate - Afrika Outside Edge 15

With the South coast of Kenya behind us the Landies rumble into Lunga Lunga for the crossing into the United Republic of Tanzania. A sign in English welcomes us to the Horororo border station. Noisy moneychangers proud of their literacy read out the 33 outside edge countries each listed below the 33 flags that run down the sides of the Landies. Now there's only two to go and then South Africa and the Cape of Good Hope.

Road's a shocker. Everybody tired. We continue to shudder and shake South down the potholed road to Tanga, the largest town along Tanzania's North coast, a sleepy frozen in time port that briefly served as the capital of German East Africa. Dressed neatly in longs and a sports jacket Dr Twaha, a public health specialist, is waiting outside the old market to meet us. A large consignment of long lasting insecticide treated mosquito nets has been dispatched to the doctor awaiting our arrival. The logistics of the One Net One Life campaign are always challenging, and early next morning we leap straight in.

Still rubbing the sleep from our eyes, first it's the maternity section of the district hospital, bed to bed, mum to mum, one net one life, a net in each mum's hand, and then down the coastal road to Pangani, school to school, classroom to classroom, clinic to clinic, distributing malaria prevention education and nets. Singing and dancing, curtseys and handshakes, there's wonderful enthusiasm from Dr Thawa, the teachers and the team of Tanzanian health workers. At the old German Governor's head quarters in Pangani we meet with the District Commissioner, she's a lovely warm-hearted lady, but how are we going to cross the Pangani River The ferry is down, there's no way of getting the Landies across. It's late afternoon, the curious occupants of this old Swahili trading port gather around. A duck is rolled off the top of the Defender 130. It lands with a thud on the banks of the Pangani. Ross and Bruce have got it taped - in go the floorboards, dripping with sweat we take it in turns to pump the six metre long pontoons, the Yamaha outboard is bolted on, oil is added to the boat fuel tanks. We load up with supplies, bedrolls, a tent, first aid and the GPS. It's the only way to remain true to the outside edge. The DC Mrs Pangani (that's really her name), shakes her head in amazement. "With this balloon boat," she says, "you are going to go all the way down the coast to Bagamoyo " Will keep you posted.